I saw something that angered me earlier today for a number of reasons. A 9th grade girl from Kentucky was expelled from her school, Whitefield Academy. But it wasn’t for the reason you might think. When people get expelled from high school, it’s usually for drug possession, possession of weapons, continuous fighting or other bad behavior.
But Kayla Kenney, the girl in the picture above, was expelled from the school after administrators caught sight of a Facebook post by her mother in which she was wearing a rainbow shirt during her birthday celebration, complete with a rainbow birthday cake. Let’s turn a blind eye to bullies who have gotten worse thanks to a lack of parenting, and other serious issues high school students face like depression, and finding out who they are, as well as their purpose in the world, and kick a girl out of school for a shirt she wore. If the administrators really were THAT upset over things, they should’ve given her another shirt to change into, let her do so, and then remind her of their dress code if they have one. That’s what administrators would do at Carey High School, and it seemed fair to me.
But I digress. The real issue here, at least to me, boils down to one simple thing: Whitefield Academy, and so many other schools, are focused more on political correctness. Rather than protecting, nurturing, and encouraging children to be who they are, or at least try to help them find out who they are, and enjoy doing so. I don’t know how you all were as teenagers, but I hadn’t found my identity yet back in 2006. Hell, I’m almost 30 years old now, and I still am searching for my place in the world.
But instances like this favor a school’s policies over the healthy growth of children into unique individuals who each have their own gifts and personalities to offer to the world. It stifles individuality. You can see how this gets me going. I already don’t like institutions telling others how to live. But when a person’s individuality is threatened, that’s two strikes. This country already has enough mindless drones and sheep who can’t think for themselves. What it needs are individuals. People like Kayla Kenney who bring joy, and a breath of fresh air to a bland world. I hope Whitefield Academy pays dearly for this in whatever way possible. Schools should be places of learning and discovery. Not a place for bureaucrats to enforce rules.
Luke's Thoughts 